Download BASE REPORT For GURGAON FIRST Workshop on “PROMOTING

BASE REPORT
For GURGAON FIRST Workshop on
“PROMOTING GREEN BUILDINGS IN GURGAON”
MAY 07, FORTIS, Gurgaon
Gurgaon is a Growing Metropolis with its Share of Infrastructure Problems….
Gurgaon has experienced a building boom and some of the steepest increases in real estate prices in India in recent years.
Commensurately, it has also seen a sudden surge in the population to the tune of 1.5 million people. However,
infrastructure of Gurgaon has not been planned in accordance with the growing population. Poor town planning has led to
various environmental issues in Gurgaon such as high pollution level, insufficient power, and improper waste disposal.
There are problems of lack of power and water. The water table, which was at about 90 feet in 2004, has now dropped to
an alarming 200 and is dropping further. Gurgaon’s power distribution utility DHBVN is about 25-30 per cent short of
power demand. There was a 25% increase in power demand last year. Conventional diesel guzzling generators used for
providing back up are not only proving costly power owing to soaring diesel prices, but also contribute in a major way to
polluting Gurgaon’s environment.
Gurgaon Needs to Move Towards Becoming a Smart and Sustainable City…
Gurgaon needs to transform itself into a smart and green city by employing better urban planning concepts and
techniques. The city can reduce greenhouse emissions, demarcate and develop integrated business, industrial, and
residential zones, focus on landscape enhancements, walkable streets, create positive public spaces have cycling paths,
water bodies, develop parks and gardens and retain its bio diversity to conserve and revive the Green Lungs of the city.
Gurgaon still has green spaces and farms but they are slowly filling up by the uncontrolled construction, leading to the
imperviousness of the soil, pollution, deforestation and other natural hazards. While on the macro level the city needs to
be planned better, at the micro level green buildings (including individual homes, commercial hubs, industrial buildings,
factories and corporate offices) can go a long way to make Gurgaon a sustainable city.
What is a Green Building - Concepts and Solutions….
A green building is an environmentally sustainable building, designed, constructed and operated to minimize impacts on
the environment and human health by conservation and efficient use of energy, water, material and other resources and
recycling waste and enhancing the indoor environmental quality at the same time.
The concepts and solutions employed to make them Green Buildings use an optimum amount of energy, consume less
water, conserve natural resources, generate less waste and create spaces for healthy and comfortable living, as compared
to conventional buildings. Green buildings provide various economical, environmental and social benefits.
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Energy Efficiency: Reduction in electricity demand is achieved by use of Energy Star appliances that reduce energy
bills over the life of the appliance. The use of natural ventilation and lighting can reduce energy consumption for airconditioning, ventilation and lighting. To reduce operating energy use, designers use details that reduce air leakage
through the building envelope (the barrier between conditioned and unconditioned space), specify high-performance
windows and extra insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors, and plant trees to shade windows and roofs during the
summer while maximizing solar gain in the winter.
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Use of Clean, Renewable Energy: Many of the renewable energy sources are free and inexhaustible, offering greener
resources and economically viable options. Solar water heating or use of solar in lighting garden lamps further reduces
energy costs.
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Water Efficiency: Water conservation, recycle and reuse can help achieve water sustainability. Green buildings save
water with the Use of low water flushes, flow restrictors at water taps, sensors taps, auto control valves, pressure
reducing devices and dual flush toilets. One can reduce landscape water requirement by appropriate planting and
efficient irrigation systems. Water demand during construction can also be reduced by using effective and efficient
methodologies. Green Buildings help lessen storm water runoff and after treatment, rainwater can be used in flushing
toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden and washing cars which accounts for more than half the total amount of
water. Reusing water for flushing toilets, watering garden, terrace and washing cars is another way to recycle water.
Other ways are:
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Principle of a septic tank- sedimentation and floatation, fermentation of bottom sludge
Principle of Anaerobic Baffled Reactor –Sedimentation/Floatation of solids, Anaerobic Digestion of
suspended and dissolved solids through sludge contact
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Material Efficiency: Green Buildings use renewable plant materials like bamboo and straw, recycled stone, recycled
metal and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable materials for construction. The
use of recycled industrial goods, such as coal combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in
construction projects is also suggested. Building materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the
building site to minimize transportation costs. Dexter Green Roof is a green roof is made up of plants placed on the
top of a building in place of traditional roofing materials. Besides being more visually attractive, green roofs are very
practical because they can extend roof life, and they can also reduce building heating and cooling costs. Recycled,
easily regenerated, or efficiently produced materials and building techniques that minimize the materials required for
a building.
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Site Use: Minimization of land used for a building, location near public transportation, erosion prevention, and other
techniques that reduce impacts on surrounding land.
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Waste reduction: Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during
construction. "Greywater", wastewater from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for
subsurface irrigation, or if treated, for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors
are used for similar purposes. By collecting human waste at the source and running it to a semicentralized biogas plant with other biological waste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. Practices like these provide soil
with organic nutrients and create carbon sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,
offsetting greenhouse gas emission.
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Indoor Environmental Quality enhancement: The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) refers to providing comfort,
well-being, and productivity of occupants. Indoor air quality seeks to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
other air impurities such as microbial contaminants. This can be achieved by two major approaches; providing
adequate ventilation and controlling the source of indoor air pollutants such as using low emission furnishing products
such as use of low or non-toxic materials or less toxic alternatives for carpets, paints, varnishes and adhesives.
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Urban Heat Island effect reduced by Green Pockets, high-reflectivity coatings on walls and green roof. Dexter Green
Roof is a green roof is made up of plants placed on the top of a building in place of traditional roofing materials.
Besides being more visually attractive, green roofs are very practical because they can extend roof life, and they can
also reduce building heating and cooling costs. Roof sprinkling is another evaporative cooling solution. Tall trees not
only contribute to evaporative cooling but also provide much-needed shade.
How to Get Green Ratings …
Whether Green buildings are really green is to be decided against the predefined rating systems. There are three primary
rating systems in India: GRIHA, IGBC and BEE. Green building rating systems are an important tool in measuring and
evaluating the environmental performance of a building. They inform the buyer/ viewer how environmentally sound a
building is, providing clarity to what extent green components have been incorporated and which sustainable principles
and practices have been employed. The rating allows for accurate quantification of what those high performance features
are, and helps differentiate the building in the market. Since rating systems often require independent third party testing
of the various elements, there is less risk of the systems not performing as predicted. If a building is formally rated (or
certified), there is less risk that the project has been “green washed”- or marketed to create the perception that a
property is green, when in fact no real effort or expense has been invested to achieve that goal. Consumers can get
benefits like reduced operating costs, energy savings up to 50%, water savings up to 30% and reduction of air conditioning
running costs by 33% from these features. The main objective behind the construction of a green building is to provide a
healthy and natural environment to the residents.
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GRIHA stands for "Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment" and has been developed keeping in mind the
various conditions and requirements specific to the design and construction of green buildings in India. GRIHA, an
acronym for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, is the National Rating System of India. GRIHA has been
conceived by TERI and developed jointly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. It is a
green building ‘design evaluation system’, and is suitable for all kinds of buildings in different climatic zones of the
country. ADaRSH(Association for Development and Research of Sustainable Habitats), is mandated to promote
development of buildings and habitats in India through GRIHA. ADaRSH an independent platform for the interaction
on scientific and administrative issues related to sustainable habitats in the Indian subcontinent. GRIHA rating system
consists of 34 criteria categorised in four different sections. Some of them are – ( 1) Site selection and site planning,
(2) Conservation and efficient utilization of resources, (3) Building operation and maintenance, and (4) Innovation.
Commonwealth Games Village, New Delhi, Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, CESE (Centre for Environmental Sciences &
Engineering) Bldg, IIT Kanpur, Suzlon One Earth, Pune and many other buildings has received GRIHA rating.
SVAGRIHA, Simple Versatile Affordable Green rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, was introduced last year by
TERI (The Energy and Resource institute), to facilitate Green Ratings for buildings less than 2500 Sq.Ft.
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IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) provides the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ratings for
green buildings in India in partnership with USGBC. The ratings have three tiers: Platinum (highest), Gold, Silver
(lowest) and Certified (given when under construction), based on the score given for the type of technologies and
materials employed to reduce resource usage. Till date, following Green Building rating systems are available under
IGBC: 1.LEED India for New Construction 2.LEED India for Core and Shell 3.IGBC Green Homes 4. IGBC Green Factory
Building 5.IGBC Green SEZ 6. IGBC Green Townships. LEED India adopts the following Indian codes and standards:
 Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) of BEE, Ministry of Power, GoI.
 National Building Code (NBC) Environmental Information System (ENVIS) for site related aspects
 BEE labeling for home appliances Local regulations for parking and open space requirements Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
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The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) launched a Star Rating Programme in 2009, for office buildings in order to
accelerate the Energy Efficiency activities in commercial buildings. The programme developed by the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency, BEE is based on actual performance of the building, in terms of specific energy usage (in kWh/sq m/year).
BEE developed its own rating system for the buildings based on a 1 to 5 star scale. More stars mean more energy
efficiency. BEE has developed the Energy Performance Index (EPI). The unit of Kilo watt hours per square meter per
year is considered for rating the building and especially targets air conditioned and non-air conditioned office
buildings. BEE had launched the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC). The code is set for energy efficiency
standards for design and construction with any building of minimum conditioned area of 1000 Sq mts and a connected
demand of power of 500 KW or 600 KVA. The energy performance index of the code is set from 90 kW·h/sqm/year to
200 kW·h/sqm/year where any buildings that fall under the index can be termed as "ECBC Compliant Building". More
over, BEE had launched a 5-star rating scheme for office buildings operated only in the day time in 3 climatic zones,
composite, hot & dry, warm & humid on 25 February 2009. IGBC rated green buildings are also able to meet or exceed
the ECBC compliance. The Reserve Bank of India’s buildings in Delhi and Bhubaneshwar, the CII Sohrabji Godrej Green
Business Centre and many other buildings have received BEE 5 star ratings.
Constituents of Green Industry…
The different stakeholders and the roles they can play in green buildings market in India, are listed below. Each of these
stakeholders has an important role to play in the development of the market for green buildings in India. But they can
make an even greater impact if they collaborate to develop new products, processes and policies for promoting the same.
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Specialist Architects, Interior Designers, Engineers
Builders, Developers and Contractors
Energy Efficiency Solution Providers, Renewable Energy Companies, HVAC Companies
Water Management companies (Rainwater Harvesting And Water Management Companies)
Renewable Energy Suppliers, ,
Material And Equipment Manufacturers
Green Rating Agencies
Green auditors, evaluators and consultants
Government Agencies such as Hudco, BEE
Industry Bodies such FICCI and CII
Town Planners such as HUDA and MCG in Gurgaon
Corporates and their CSR wings
Educational Institutions, NGOs and Media
Cost & Payoffs of the Green Option…
The cost could be slightly higher than a conventional building. But then, this needs to be seen with a different paradigm.
The question is how do we compare the costs? The incremental cost is always relative and depends on the extent of ecofriendly features already considered during design. Another way of looking at it is evaluate the incremental cost in relation
to the life cycle cost. The incremental initial cost for the first few green buildings in India can be found in the following
table. The declining incremental cost over the years is evident.
Building
ITC Green
Centre,
Gurgaon
Wipro,
Gurgaon
Year
awarded
Built-in
Area
(Sqft)
Rating
Achieved
%
increase
in cost
Normal
Building
kWh
Actual
Building
kWh
%
Reduction
2004
1,70,000
Platinum
15 %
35,00,000
20,00,000
45%
2005
1,75,000
Platinum
8%
48,00,000
31,00,000
40%
Annual
Savings (Rs
Lakhs)
90
102
Payback
(Yrs)
6 years
5 years
Potential Savings…
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In an intelligent or green building, the focus is on saving of energy, saving of water and maximum human comfort for
higher productivity.
Properly designed envelope or exterior of a building avoids exposure to the sun’s path and still have cool air
circulation and light. This enables the savings on electricity consumption for massive air conditioning systems and
hundreds of lights and fans.
If we replace conventional bricks with pre-fabricated blocks, one saves between 40-60 per cent of construction time.
These blocks are made up of fly-ash and cement, which are light in weight, but stronger than bricks. They are nontoxic and eco-friendly. This saves cost and gives you a better building
Installing a sewage treatment plant and deploying that water for household use translates into huge savings in water
consumption.
The Price Factor…
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In mature markets the cost premium of constructing green buildings is around one to six per cent. In India, however, it
varies between six to 18 per cent. The higher cost is due to lack of technical expertise in India. It also varies
depending upon the level of certification sought from the rating agencies by a builder. With savings in electricity and
water plus carbon credits earned from green buildings, there can be a three to seven year premium payback period.
Green homes built over the last 15 years have proven that it doesn’t’ have to cost more to build green. The major
variables are typically; what is the experience of the architect/builder, how early in the design process were green
building features incorporated, what is the source of the green materials, and how green or energy efficient does the
design team want the home to be?
Shipping costs can make non-local materials much more expensive than traditional products.
Homes built today have a higher re-sale value if built using green building technology.
Bottlenecks and Constraints towards Promoting Green Buildings…
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The labourers and contracting sector is highly unorganized and use conventional techniques; it takes them time to
change gears.
Govt Policies should promote green buildings.. The IRRAD building produces electricity (35 KWP) in excess of its needs
(12 KWP). It asked HUDA if it could feed it into the grid or sell it to the neighbouring offices. HUDA didn’t know what
to do as there was no policy that allowed it and so it declined the offer.
Securing a green certificate is quite lengthy and costs exorbitant.
Awareness & Reach out: Everyone talks green, but there is the lack of awareness and misconceptions about the
concept. Green building skeptics think that it is difficult or sometimes impossible to build a green building without
paying a high upfront cost. Life cycle analysis is rarely done at the conception stage, because of which the low
maintenance and operating costs along with the quality of life within the built up area is ignored.
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The cost premium attached to green buildings is due to the following:
 The still evolving nature of green buildings
 Lack of technical information
 Incomplete/inefficient execution of green projects
 The short term view on returns, instead of focusing on lifetime ROI of these buildings
Lack of Availability of green materials also discourage developers to pursue green bluilding projects.
Lack of professional support for facilitation of certifications & consultancy services for earning carbon credits.
Untrained service providers poses a huge risk as specifications can get ignored, and poor workmanship can affect the
quality of work. Thus, scaling up of training and development initiatives is required.
Some Recent Positive Initiatives…
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To promote green buildings, Maharashtra has also decided to implement a ‘green code’ – guidelines for building ecofriendly structures. The state plans to implement the green code for government buildings and those of public
utilities.
Green Home Loan by leading banks and financial institutes motivates customers to go for Green Projects.
Besides, priority is given to green building projects with regards to clearances from authorities including fire brigades
and the civic body for green buildings, but still there is a need to spread awareness among people about the benefits
of green buildings
Gurgaon’s Progress towards Green Buildings So Far…
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The Millennium City has 15 green buildings with five of them having the highest ‘platinum’ certification of the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, given by the IGBC. The remaining are Gold and Silver certified. Green
buildings of ITC, Wipro technologies and HSBC House have platinum certification, while Nokia India, Unitech Tower
and Dabur Corporate Office India having Gold certification.Notable names among the Green Home Projects are Godrej
Frontier and Raisina Residency. However, the city still needs to strengthen its foothold in the area. There is an
incredible potential in Gurgaon to be called as green city as a lot of development is still about to take place. What is
needed is the political will, public awareness campaigns and a participatory approach.
The concept of Green buildings or a sustainable house that consumes lesser energy, water and materials is fast
catching up in Gurgaon. Buyers are becoming aware of the advantages of residing in a green building. The demand for
such projects is increasing which is boosting the confidence of developers. Apart from being environment sensitive,
buyers are also looking at the economical aspect of a green building.
IGBC Green Home Projects…
Project
Godrej Frontier
Raisina Residency
Location
Gurgaon (Haryana)
Gurgaon
Rating
Pre-Certified, Silver
Pre-Certified, Gold
Location
Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Rating
Gold
Platinum
Platinum
Platinum
Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Platinum
Platinum
Gold
Platinum
LEED Rated Green Buildings…
Project
Dabur Corporate Office
Delta India Electronics Pvt. Ltd
HSBC House - Finance COE, Phase-1
Institute of Rural Research and
Development
ITC Green Centre
Prime Tower Gurgaon
Unitech Commercial Tower
Wipro Technologies
Existing and Upcoming Green Buildings in Gurgaon…
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The Institute of Rural Research And Development (IRRAD) : The institute building in Gurgaon’s sector 44 meets 100%
of basic electricity needs. . An initiative of SM Sehgal Foundation, IRRAD got the Platinum certification Award in 2010
by US Green Building Council. The institute spent 15% extra on the construction (on account of Solar photo voltaic
panels) but this was an investment in future.
This is the first institutional building in Gurgaon that is designed to minimize the ecological foot print and carbon
dioxide emissions due to the type of material used. For instance, wood is used instead of aluminium for doors and
windows and the use of burnt brick is minimized. No imported stones are used. This gives about 30% reduction on
CO2 emissions compared to the kind of building that are generally prevalent today.
Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon : The Hospital located at Sector 44 has taken TERI Griha certification. Building design
optimization includes climate analysis, solar exposure analysis and shading design. It has used eco friendly
construction design material, promotes energy and water conservation, waste management as well as has an ambient
green cover.
Skyview Corporate Park: The green aspects of this 21-acre, Rs 800-crore park include high-efficiency glass, recycled
waste water for landscaping and toilets, high-ceiling dimension for maximum daylight for tenants and sensorcontrolled equipment to maximize energy efficiency.
Tatvam Vilas: The IGBC platinum rated villa complex in Gurgaon’s Sohna Road has also used a number of green
principles such as water bodies within the complex.
Nokia India’s office in SP Infocity: was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification in
October 2010. The construction cost (of the structure) was around 10% more with a payback period of four years. The
benefits realised from the green establishment include 30% energy savings, 35% water savings and improved health
(not quantifiable) of its occupants over a sustained period. In 2011, Nokia used 40% of renewable electricity. Nokia
has achieved LEED GOLD rating for commercial interiors and this was a first for Nokia in India.
ITC Green Centre, Gurgaon: Renowned as one of the early adopters of the green building movement in India, the ITC
Green Centre is still considered a benchmark for green buildings. It was the first 'Platinum' rated building in India and
has endeavored to adopt green practices that go beyond recycled waste and day-lit offices. Within a built-in area of
180,000 sq.ft., the building features alternative transportation facilities, storm water management system, solar
thermal technology, reflective high-albedo roof paint, minimal exterior lighting, separate smoking rooms with exhaust
system and zero-water discharge.More than 10% of the building materials are refurbished from other sites and 40%
are from within 500 miles of the project site.
The TERI Retreat building, Gurgaon is one of the best of examples orientation and solar passive design
Implementation. The building receives daylight and winter sun, while cutting off summer sun. The external walls are
also shaded adequately with red stone jail and deciduous trees. Creepers and trees along the walls add to the
insulation and help evaporative cooling.
Delta India Electronics: The office is built adhering to the Delta’s Green Building policy. The new building is designed
using energy efficient architecture, eco-friendly building materials, and building management systems that provide a
vibrant clean, healthy and safe workplace for employees.
Wipro Campus, Gurgaon is a Platinum Rated LEED certified Green Building. US Green Building Council honored this
project in year 2005 with LEED Platinum award with 57 points, which makes the Wipro project the second highest and
the
largest
platinum
rated
green
building
in
the
world
and
highest
in
Asia.
Wipro made an attempt to minimize the negative impact of building construction on surrounding areas by minimizing
soil erosion and eliminating storm water runoff. The project strives to be an exemplary energy-efficient building.
Notable features include- terrace gardens, efficient chillers, efficient lighting using lamps and ample daylight spaces
with photo sensor controls.
New and Upcoming Projects …
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The latest is Ansal API's Esencia in Sector 67 on Golf Course Extension, Gurgaon. Esencia Township has been registered
as a pilot project for rating under GRIHA.
The developer 3C has got 47 acre in Sector 89 to develop a Green Township. Triburg Headquarters, Gurgaon,
Corporate Office
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation also has applied for the same for its upcoming HUDA City Metro station complex in the
city.